Filing cabinet



Oct. 6, 1935 .HEDGES FILING CABINET Filed June 2, 19

w w %%.....I 4% J W F M a w m J my Patented Oct. 6, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to the disposition of correspondence, records, documents or the like, and has among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved filing cabinet.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a filing cabinet embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a different form; Fig. 4 is an end view partly in section of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a dust seal;

20 Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a plurality of units connected together for transportation purposes;

Fig. '7 is a sectional detail view taken along the line of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a part of the 25 structure illustrated in Fig. 6.

In the embodiment selected to illustrate my invention, I make use of a drawer l0 and a cooperating cover l2 associated with a skeleton I4. The skeleton comprises a U-shaped bottom portion made up of legs l6 and a connecting reach l8. These three parts are L-shaped in crosssection so that the horizontal flanges support the drawer l0, while the vertical flanges 22 limit lateral movement of the tray.

A pair of supporting loops 24 is connected with the bottom part l6 as by welding along the lines 26. Referring to Fig. 2, the cover I2 is permanently connected with the horizontal reaches of the loops 24 through the medium of screws 28. I make the loops 24 of such a vertical dimension that the cover l2 will always be arranged in proper operative relation with the tray in.

In Fig. 2 the upper part of the loops 24 closely embraces the cover l2, but the vertical reaches of the loops are offset slightly to provide a small clearance for the sides of the tray l0. Thus I eliminate any scratching of the trays while being shifted. It will be noted that the bottom part of the tray fits snugly between the vertical flanges of the reaches [6. Thus the tray I0 is accurately aligned with respect to the cover l2 so that an efficient closure is attained.

I provide facilities for mounting units comprising the structure of Fig. 1 in stacked relation. To this end the reaches l6 support two load of the superimposed units whereby the load cross members 32 having openings 34 aligned to receive the short lugs 36 associated with the bottom unit. This arrangement effectively connects the stacked units and determines the relative position between the units in addition to 5 preventing lateral shifting of one unit with respect to its associated unit or units.

My invention embodies a novel skeleton structure in that the skeleton structure carries the carried by each tray is limited to the contents therein. This construction eliminates the necessity for the conventional shell enclosing all the drawers of a cabinet unit. At the same time a unit such as that disclosed in Fig. 1 is complete in itself or may easily be associated with other units by merely stacking one upon the other. Thus units may be added as additional filing space is required.

I attain a large saving in material. In view of the fact that the load is transmitted to the skeleton structure. the drawer l0 and the cover l2 may comprise materials having very little compressive strength since the cover [2 supports no load, while the drawer I0 supports a load limited to its contents. The units stack neatly, and the arrangement permits the drawers to be completely withdrawn.

I prefer to make the front end 38 of the drawer l0 substantially co-extensive with the cross-sectional area of the tray and its associated cover. Referring to Fig. 1, the edge 40 of the side walls embodies an inclined edge 42 arranged to abut a similar inclined edge 44 on the cover. The edge 46 of the front end 38 fits snugly underneath the edge 48 on the cover when the tray I0 is pushed home.

To provide a dust-tight connection between the tray and its cover, I attach metallic strips 50 to the side walls of the tray by means of small screws 52. The strips 50 extend above the upper side walls of the tray and are arranged in sliding and frictional engagement with the inner walls of the depending side portions of the cover l2, as indicated at 54. 5

A different skeleton structure is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. In this form the base part 56 is identical with the U-shaped bottom part of the skeleton disclosed in Fig. 1, but the loops 58 comprise channel iron. Loops made up of such material are designed to withstand heavier compression loads, and are particularly adapted to filing cabinets of large capacity. Each loop is provided with a pair of fingers 60 riveted to the vertical reaches of the loop at 64 and arranged with their upper ends projecting above the horizontal reach. Thus the fingers prevent lateral shifting of a section mounted upon the horizontal reach.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated a modified dust seal in which the flange part 66 comprising one of the depending Walls of a tray cover is grooved at 68 to receive a metal strip 10. This strip is bent back upon itself at 12 to provide a loop formation slidably arranged within a groove 14 in the wall part 16 of the tray. The double portion of the metal strip is shaped to bear snugly against the walls of the groove, and the material of the groove possesses sufficient resiliency to compensate for-structural variations in the grooves .14 so that a dust-tight seal is provided under'all conditions.

In Figs. 6, v, and 8,1 illustrate a method of tying filing cabinet units into a unitary transportation purposes.

In Fig. 8, the vertical reaches 18 are provided assembly for with an opening 80 to receive a bolt 82 (see Fig. 7)

" in Fig. 6. The filing units are indicated at as in stacked relation, whereby the two bars 86 upon each side of the group firmly connect the units 88 into a unitary whole whereby the group may be moved as a unit.

It will be noted that the heads of the bolts 82 are tapered to fit within counter-sunk openings in the reaches 18 so that the heads of the bolts will not interfer with the tray part of the filing unit.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain my invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim: 7 A device of the type described comprising a filing tray, spaced L-shaped member for carrying the weight of the tray and resisting lateral movement of the same, a cover for the tray, a pair of U-shaped supports each having its bight fixedly connected with the cover and the ends of its legs fixedly connected with said L-shaped members, cross members interconnecting said L- shaped members, and pins projecting upwardly from thebights of said U-shaped supports, said cross membersbeing provided with borespositioned in axial alignment with said pins, the pins of the two U-sh'aped members being arranged to be positioned in the bores of a superimposed filing unit for holding the filing units in stacked V CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION, Patent N0. 2,05 ,853.

JAMES A. HEDGES.

Page 2, second column, line 14, in the claim, for the word member" read members; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of October, A. D- 1936.

Henry Van Arsdale Acting Commissioner of Patents.

October 6, 1.936, 

